Family lawyers could be hit with personal costs orders if they fail to help resolve disputes as “quickly, inexpensively and efficiently” as possible and if their fees become disproportionate to the issues in dispute, under laws to be introduced to parliament today…

A Family Court judge has delivered a blistering judgment on the “culture of bitter, adversarial and highly aggressive family law litigation” in Sydney and blasted two law firms for charging “outrageous” fees…

Retired Family Court judge Richard Chisholm has written a blueprint for overhauling Australia’s Family Law Act recommending the removal of Shared Parenting as a potential outcome in Family Law Court proceedings…

The new laws declare that de facto couples who satisfy basic criteria – such as being in the relationship for at least two years – will be treated in the Family Court in the same way as a married couple. It also applies to same-sex couples…

Perhaps the most significant amendments to the parenting provisions were introduced by the Howard Government in 2006. While these also gave some new priority to issues of family violence, they are generally seen as at least having had the effect of prioritising relationships with both parents after separation over the significance of family violence to decision making about parenting…

In Australia a pre-nup is simply a binding financial agreement that sits under the Family Law Act. It’s a legal contract that can be entered into by married couples, same-sex couples and those in de facto relationships…